James and Ashley Stay at Home

It's that time of year again! (Well, almost … it's actually a bit early.) Collected here is a varied selection of 2025's 'What Are You Reading' book recommendations, nice and early so you can get your Christmas shopping started sooner rather than later! Books and authors discussed in this episode: From ep. 110 Translations by Jumaana Abdu (Michelle See-Tho) The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison by Andrew Hamilton (Ashley) The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgård (James) From ep. 111 Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen (Ashley) My Dream Time by Ash Barty (James) From ep. 112 The Lady's Handbook to Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey (Ashley) From ep. 113 I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Pip Drysdale) From ep. 114 Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham (Lynne Ainsworth) Clare Keegan (Lynne Ainsworth) The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (Lynne Ainsworth) We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (James) Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra (James) Freedom by Lea Ypi (Ashley) From ep. 115 Anatomy of a Secret by Gerard McCann (Jay Martin) The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart (Ashley) The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (Ashley) Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Ashley) From ep. 117 The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (Melenie Cheng) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Oliver Ready (James) Bat Eater (and other names for Cora Zheng) by Kylie Lee Baker (Ashley) From ep. 119 My First Book by Honor Levy (Nathan Dunne) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff (James) Luminous by Silvia Park (Ashley) From ep. 120 Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister (Michelle Prak) A Fortunate Life by AB Facey (Michelle Prak) Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (Michelle Prak) Universality by Natasha Brown (James) The Last Victim by Tracy Hall and Summer Land (Ashley) From ep. 122 Falling TJ Newman (James & Ashley) Drowning by TJ Newman (James & Ashley) Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman (James & Ashley) From ep. 123 She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper (Matt Rogers) Orbital by Samantha Harvey (James) Legend of a Suicide by David Vann (James) From ep. 124 Outback Cop by Neale McShane and Evan McHugh (Ashley) This episode Moderation by Elaine Castillo The Eyes are the Best Part by Monica Kim Molka by Monica Kim 'Salem's Lot and Cujo by Stephen King Upcoming events  James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March, 2026 Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 124, urban ecologist and past guest Darryl Jones returns to discuss the power of nature to heal your brain and other topics from his latest book, (Be)Wilder, which delves into  elephants in Thailand, bearded pigs in Borneo, and conservationist farmers in the Snowy Mountains.  Darryl also speaks about the recent brain surgery he underwent as treatment for Parkinson's, and the story of how the disease got its name.  Darryl Jones is a Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane, where for over 30 years he has been investigating the many ways that people and wildlife interact. He is particularly interested in why some species have been so successful in urban landscapes while many others have not, and how best to deal with the ensuing conflicts. His books include Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood, Feeding the Birds at Your Table and Curlews on Vulture Street, which we spoke to him about in J&A Stay at Home episode 67. Find Darryl at Brisbane Writers Festival or any of his upcoming events.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: Mark Cocker  Enchantment by Birds by Russell McGregor  Apeirogon by Colum McCann Ghost Cities by Siang Lu  Outback Cop by Neale McShane and Evan McHugh Upcoming events  Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October  James is speaking with Christian White at Manly Library on Sunday 2 November Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November James is teaching Setting & Landscape for Writers at the Woolshed on Saturday 21 March, 2026 Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

How do you write thirty-five novels in a decade and sell a million copies while doing it? Bestselling author Matt Rogers is here to share his secrets.  Matt began writing fiction at age six, then dropped out of university to pursue writing full time. He discusses the differences in traditional and self-publishing, how his obsession with philosophy has bled into his thriller writing, and why he believes quantity leads to quality.   Matt Rogers is the internationally bestselling author of the Dante Jacoby series. Matt began self-publishing at the age of 18, and in the following eight years he single-handedly wrote and marketed more than 35 thriller novels. His books have collectively sold over one million copies. 'The Forsaken' is his debut novel for Simon & Schuster. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Henry David Thoreau  Eragon by Christopher Paolini Lee Child  'Things that aren't doing the thing' from Strangest Loop The War of Art by Steven Pressfield  She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper Denizen by James McKenzie Watson  Orbital by Samantha Harvey  Legend of a Suicide by David Vann  Upcoming events: James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2 Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October Ashley is teaching crime writing at Gosford Library on Monday 10 November Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 122, Ashley asks fellow crime fiction fan and podcaster what it's like to find yourself as a fictional character in a new novel from one of your favourite authors.  Felix 'Flex' Shannon shares his experience of being fictionalised in the latest mystery novel from Sulari Gentill, Five Found Dead. Hear from Sulari in ep 121!  Felix Shannon is a radio presenter, producer, technician and educator. Together with Benjamin Herder, Felix hosts the crime and mystery fiction podcast Death of the Reader.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: All the Tears in China by Sulari Gentill After She Wrote Him by Sulari Gentill Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill  Benjamin Stevenson  When They Cry by Ryukishi07 Denizen by James McKenzie Watson  Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath  Learned Behaviours by Zeynab Gamieldien The Scope of Permissibility by Zeynab Gamieldien All the Missing Children by Zahid Gamieldien (from ep 102)  Falling TJ Newman  Drowning by TJ Newman  Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman  I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt  Chris Hammer  Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching a one-day narrative drive workshop for Writers at the Woolshed on Thursday 11 September and providing manuscript feedback sessions on Friday 12 September  Ashley is doing one-on-one manuscript assessments for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival on Saturday 13 September (only two spots available!)  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September  Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September  James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2 Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

When bestselling author Sulari Gentill was diagnosed with stage four cancer, she decided to write the ending she wanted. In episode 121, she joins James and Ashley to discuss her seventeenth novel, Five Found Dead, which features a main character riding the Orient Express to celebrate his recent cancer recovery – and who ends up solving several murders along the way.  Sulari shares her own experience of riding the Orient Express and describes how her creativity and writing reminded her who she was at a time when her illness was reducing her sense of self to 'patient'.  Plus she shares an excellent story involving red carpets, international awards and to-die-for chocolate cake.  Published in English in Australia, the UK and the US, and in translation in more than a dozen territories, Sulari Gentill is the author of The Hero Trilogy and the multi-award-winning Rowland Sinclair Mysteries. The first book in this ten-book series was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the second won the Davitt Award. Her novel After She Wrote Him won the Ned Kelly Award. The Woman in the Library was a USA Today Bestseller, and The Mystery Writer won the 2025 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her latest novel, Five Found Dead is out now in the US, UK and Australia. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Agatha Christie; Death of the Reader podcast;  Kylie Ladd (from ep 92);  The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan; Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park and State of Fear by Michael Crichton;  Stephen King; Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Upcoming events: James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September  Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September  James is speaking to Siang Lu, winner of the Miles Franklin Award and previous podcast guest at the State Library for SWF on October 2 Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Ashley is at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival on Saturday 18 October  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 120, bestselling author Michelle Prak discusses how she set her latest thriller against the backdrop of Australia's housing crisis and why she writes flawed, sometimes rash characters.  She also reflects on how growing up in a lower socio-economic home influenced her love of reading and her ambition to be a writer, and also how it delayed her efforts to make that dream happen.   Michelle Prak is a professional communicator with a thirty-year career in PR, social media, and politics. She lives in Adelaide and teaches communication subjects at the University of South Australia. Her bestselling debut thriller The Rush was published internationally in 2023. Barren Cape is her second novel.  Books and authors discussed in this episode: 'The habit of writing' by Michelle Prak for Sisters in Crime; Colin Thiele Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister A Fortunate Life by AB Facey Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt Universality by Natasha Brown The Last Victim by Tracy Hall and Summer Land Upcoming events: Ashley is at the Mudgee Readers' Festival teaching narrative drive on Friday 15 August and speaking on Technology & The Future of Crime Fiction on Saturday 16 August  Ashley is teaching a one-day narrative drive workshop for Writers at the Woolshed on Thursday 11 September and providing manuscript feedback sessions on Friday 12 September  Ashley is doing one-on-one manuscript assessments for BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival on Saturday 13 September (only two spots available!)  James is teaching Writing Setting and Landscape at Writing NSW on Saturday 20 September  Ashley is teaching Online: Crafting Memoir for Queensland Writers Centre on Sunday 28 September  Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

In episode 119, debut author Nathan Dunne joins us to discuss his memoir, When Nothing Feels Real, which shares the story of his onset of severe depersonalisation and his quest to find a diagnosis. He shares the challenge of conveying his experience to those unfamiliar with the condition, his multi-year challenge to reach a proper diagnosis, and the long and uneven journey to recovery. We also discuss the community of fellow sufferers that supported him in the completion of his memoir.  Nathan Dunne was born in Brisbane and grew up in India. As a journalist and critic, he has contributed to many publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, The Guardian and Slate. He now lives in Sydney. His debut book is When Nothing Feels Real, a memoir about living with depersonalisation, a frequently misunderstood mental illness. Books & authors discussed in this episode: My First Book by Honor Levy;  The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff;  Luminous by Silvia Park  Upcoming events Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9 Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Ashley's brand new thriller Like, Follow, Die is out now as an audiobook exclusive from Audible! In episode 118, Ashley discusses the book's unique development and what it was like working with an ensemble cast of prominent Australian actors to bring her third book to life. Like, Follow, Die is a "shattering and provocative psychological thriller that dives into the darkest corners of the internet and the powerful bonds between parents and children." Learn more and listen to it here. Books & authors discussed in this episode: John Sandford (narrated by Richard Ferrone) JP Pomare Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? by Pierre Novellie Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami Upcoming events: Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9 Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Award-winning author Melanie Cheng joins James and Ashley to discuss her writing practice, her pet rabbit, and The Burrow, her 'most personal book' and its many parallels to her own life.  She also shares her experience of writing toward her greatest fear, coming to terms with her cyclical writing process, and how teaching narrative to medical students can help increase communication between doctors and patients.  Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner. She was born in Adelaide, grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in Melbourne. Her debut collection of short stories, Australia Day, won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2016 and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Fiction in 2018. Room for a Stranger, her highly acclaimed first novel, was published in 2019. The Burrow was published in 2024, and has since been shortlisted for numerous major Australian prizes, including the Stella Prize, the Age Book of the Year and the Miles Franklin Award. Read the Kill Your Darlings interview with Melanie discussed in this episode here.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: The Burrow by Franz Kafka Tender Is the Flesh by Augustina Batzerrica  Helen Garner Maxine Beneba Clarke Tony Birch Alice Pung Hilton Koppe (from ep 70)  The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler  Sanchana Venkatesh (from ep 75) and #MyYearWithAnneTyler Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Oliver Ready Bat Eater (and other names for Cora Zheng) by Kylie Lee Baker, recommended by @EmilyEatsPages  Laura McClusky  Riley James Jacinta Dietrich Upcoming events: Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October James is launching Matt Rogers' highly anticipated debut thriller 'The Forsaken' at Harry Hartog Mosman, Wednesday July 9 Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library. Plus check out Like, Follow, Die from Audible.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

If you missed hearing Ashley and James live in conversation at the launch of Cold Truth, we've got the full event recording for you here, complete with fake nazi invasions, terrifying cybercrime stats, and the satisfying crunch of James being forced to try genuine Manitoban dill pickle chips.  Thanks to local bookseller Roaring Stories for hosting this event!  Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May  Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July  Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop, Booktopia or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop, Booktopia or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

How did Jay Martin go from an award-winning memoir to a fiction manuscript she ultimately abandoned? And what did she learn that helped her craft her debut novel, Boom Town Snap?  Jay talks with Ashley and James about what toxic workplaces have in common with abusive relationships, and how we get trapped in toxic relationships at the community level as well.  Ashley is in conversation with Jay Martin to launch Boom Town Snap at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm Jay Martin's first book, Vodka and Apple Juice: Travels of an Undiplomatic Wife in Poland, won the Hungerford Award and was published in 2018. She has worked in a range of roles including in community development, government policy and consulting. This included positions in federal government in Canberra, as well as in consulting firms in Australia and Canada. Jay designs and runs writing workshops and programs around Western Australia. Her debut novel is Boom Town Snap.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: Arna Radovich (from ep 105) Anatomy of a Secret by Gerard McCann The Hollow Girl by Lyn Yeowart The Silent Listener by Lyn Yeowart (from ep 39) Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams Tender Is the Flesh by Augustina Batzerrica Upcoming events: Ashley is in conversation with Jay Martin to launch Boom Town Snap at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm Ashley is in conversation with Dinuka McKenzie at Sutherland Library, Thursday 5 June, 6.30pm Ashley is part of the Sisters in Crime – Death in a Cold Climate panel, Friday 27 June, 7-10pm, South Melbourne Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm Ashley is speaking at Bendigo Library, Monday 30 June, 1-2pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July  Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Lynne Ainsworth is the founder of Writers at the Woolshed, an emerging writer, and a person who 'loves hanging out with people who read and write'. She loves it so much, she not only created a pop-up festival to connect authors with regional readers and writers, she's now hosting the first Winter Writing Retreat, featuring masterclasses with Eleanor Limprecht, Betty O'Neil, Audrey Molloy, Ashley Kalagian Blunt and Lee Kofman (from eps 3, 76 and 112).   In this special bonus episode, Lynne tells us how she first became a festival director, and shares details of the retreat, happening 13-18 July in Mittagong, NSW.  An alumna of Varuna and Faber Writing Academy, Lynne Ainsworth has several short stories published, and was awarded a Masterclass with Patti Miller at Varuna in 2017, a one-month placement as Artist in Residence at The Old School House at Mt. Wilson, and a CreateNSW Small Project Grant for her current memoir, Sambio, set in Papua New Guinea.  Find out more from Writers at the Woolshed. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Clare Keegan Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham  The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Freedom by Lea Ypi Upcoming events: Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.  Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May  Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm Ashley will be doing an in-conversation in Meeniyan with Jacinta Dietrich, Saturday 28 June, 6.30-7.30pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July  Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

How does having a stalker change your life? We talk with bestselling novelist Pip Drysdale about her latest novel 'The Close-Up,' its real-life inspirations, and how surviving a stalker shifted her worldview.  We also discuss how to navigate public image and the role anxiety has to play in creative pursuits.  Plus, this ep's What Are You Reading? inspires a debate about what's derivative and what's inspired, and if those can be the same thing.  Join Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.  Pip Drysdale is an author, musician and actor. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and London, and lives on a steady diet of coffee, dreams, and literature. Her first four books – The Sunday Girl, The Strangers We Know, The Paris Affair and The Next Girl – have been bestsellers in Australia. Her latest book, The Close-Up is out now in Australia/NZ and North America. She lives in Sydney. Books & authors discussed in this episode: 'My Stalker, My Novel' by Pip Drysdale for Crime Reads;  I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman;  We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer;  Anna Downes;  House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski Upcoming events: Ashley & Pip in conversation at Five Dock Library speaking about Cold Truth, Five Dock Library, Wednesday 30 April 5.30 for 6pm start. Free, book online.  Ashley is the guest author of the Bloom & Bound 'Bound to Roam' bookshop crawl happening Saturday 26 April, Sydney  Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May  Ashley is launching Jay Martin's debut novel at Better Read Than Dead on Sunday 18 May, 3pm Ashley is teaching a multi-day memoir masterclass as part of the Writers at the Woolshed Winter Writing Retreat in the Southern Highlands, 13-18 July  Join Ashley and podcast fav Hayley Scrivenor for the Mystery and Mayhem Readers Retreat at the 5-star Tamborine Mountain Glades, 3-5 October Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

What considerations come into choosing to have a baby for creatives? And once baby enters the picture, how do you balance parenting with your creative practice?  We ask Dinuka McKenzie and Lee Kofman, two beloved past guests who happen to be both authors and parents, about their decision to have children and how they manage their writing lives as parents.  Plus, James has a big announcement – you'll never guess what it is.  Lee Kofman is a Russian-born, Israeli-Australian memoirist, novelist, editor and writing coach. She's the author of three fiction books and two memoirs, including Imperfect, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Nib Literary Award in 2019. Her short works have been widely published in Australia, US, UK, Israel and Canada. Lee's most recent book is The Writer Laid Bare (Ventura Press). Dinuka is the author of the Detective Kate Miles crime series, The Torrent, Taken and Tipping Point, published in Australia and the UK. She was the winner of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize and has been shortlisted for numerous major Australian crime writing awards. Dinuka lives with her family in Southern Sydney on Dharawal country. Mascara Literary Review is looking for essays, flash fiction and poetry from disabled and chronically ill writers – closes 31 March.  Books & authors discussed in this episode: Cyril Connolly  The Lady's Handbook to Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey  Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko  At the Strangers' Gate by Adam Gopnik  Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart Your Baby Doesn't Come with a Book by Daniel Golshevsky The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus  Upcoming events  James is having a baby! Well, not him personally. His wife. But he'll be there. Date and time TBA.  Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the South Coast Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am Ashley is doing her first-ever Canberra author talk at Big River Gin Distillery, Thursday 20 March, 6 pm, featuring chocolate martinis   Ashley is returning to the Occasional Wine Bar, Boorowa, on Friday 21 March, 6.30pm Ashley is appearing at Book Face Erina with Anna Downes on Tuesday 25 March, 6pm Ashley is appearing at Newcastle Writers Festival with Anna Downes & Petronella McGovern, and with Shankari Chandran & Jock Serong, 5-6 April Ashley is teaching Online: Writing Crime for Faber, 8 weeks starting Tuesday 6 May  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Cold Truth, Ashley's new thriller, is out now. James and Ashley discuss just how difficult writing this book was, plus why she chose to set in a city that makes headlines for being colder than the surface of Mars. They also chat about real-life research, including the time Ashley learned how to pick a lock with a credit card. Plus, James horrifies Ashley with a true story about digital privacy.  Cold Truth is available now from Booktopia, your local bookshop and your library.   Books & authors discussed in this episode: Everyone and Everything by Nadine Cohen My Dream Time by Ash Barty Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader Newcastle author talk – Thursday, 20 Feb, 6pm at Newcastle Library Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the South Coast Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'I always knew I wanted to write a novel, but I didn't have any ideas that I thought could extend to a novel-length work.'  In episode 110, Michelle See-Tho shares her journey from aspiring writer to winner of the 2023 Penguin Literary Prize for her debut novel, Jade and Emerald. Though she started out writing short stories and video game reviews, she discusses how drawing on inspiration from her own life, including her passion for video games, helped her shape the world of her novel.  Michelle See-Tho is a freelance writer and copywriter. She has had articles and stories published in Kill Your Darlings, Meanjin, Overland and The Big Issue Fiction Edition. Jade and Emerald is her first novel.  You can read Michelle's article 'Why Aren't There More Books About Video Games?' for Nintendo Life here.  Get your copy of Jade and Emerald from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Books & authors discussed in this episode: Melanie Cheng Katherine Collette Annette Higgs Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Translations by Jumaana Abdu The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison by Andrew Hamilton The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgård Upcoming events: Ashley is teaching From Memory to Manuscript for Hunter Writers Centre monthly on Monday evenings starting 24 February  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Cold Truth Sydney launch with James – Thursday 6 Feb, 7 pm at the Royal Oak, Balmain Cold Truth Melbourne with Sally Hepworth – Monday 10 February, 6.30 at Cheltenham Library Cold Truth Melbourne with Kate Mildenhall – Tuesday 11 February, 6.30 at Readings Carlton Cold Truth Brisbane launch with Martine Kropkowski – Thursday 13 February, 6pm at Avid Reader Ashley is teaching Pathways to Publishing in-person for the Sout Coat Writers Centre on Saturday, 15 March starting 10.30 am Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library.  Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

Here it is - the annual end-of-year book recommendation extravaganza! This bumper episode contains every single edition of 'What are you reading?' from 2024, in which James, Ashley and guests discuss the books on their shelves, and why you should read them too (or not). Use it as a last-minute Christmas shopping guide or a wishlist for your own personal library in 2025. Books and authors discussed in this episode (brace yourself, this is a long list): From episode 92 (Kylie Ladd, author of 'I'll Leave You With This') The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen (Kylie) The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James) Red River Road by Anna Downes (Ashley) A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold. From episode 93 (Adele Dumont, author of 'The Pulling') Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (Adele) The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgård (James) Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran (Ashley) From episode 94 (no guest) Red River Road by Anna Downes (James) The Consultant by Im Seong Sun, translated by An Seon Jae (Ashley) From episode 95 (Liz Nugent, author of 'Strange Sally Diamond') The Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Liz) In the Woods by Tana French (James) The Witch Elm by Tana French (James) Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (Ashley) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Liz) From episode 96 (Tracy Sorensen, author of 'The Vitals') I'll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd (Tracy) Number Go Up by Zeke Faux (Ashley) The Trial by Franz Kafka (James) Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story by James Blunt (James) From episode 97 (no guest) The Cop Who Fell To Earth by Craig Semple (Ashley) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (James) From episode 98 (Imbi Neeme, author of 'Kind of, Sort of, Maybe but Probably Not') Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (Imbi) Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami (Ashley) On Our Best Behaviour by Elise Loehnen (Ashley) The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood (James) From episode 99 (Siang Lu, author of 'Ghost Cities') He Who Drowned the World by Shelly Parker-Chan (Siang) Amygdalatropolis by BR Yeager (James) So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan (James)  Better Than Happiness by Gregory P Smith (Ashley) From episode 100 (no guest) Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Ashley) Scary Monsters by Michelle de Krester (James) From episode 101 (Khin Myint, author of 'Fragile Creatures') Detachable Penis by Sam Elkin (Khin) Quiet by Susan Cain (Khin) The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Ashley) Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (James) From episode 102 (Zahid Gamieldien, author of 'All the Missing Children') Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor (Zahid) The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (James) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Ashley) The Guest List by Lucy Foley (Ashley) From episode 103 (Robyn Harding, author of 'The Haters') This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead (Robyn) Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor (James) Tyranny of the Minority by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt (James) Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans (Ashley) From episode 104 (Michael Klim, author of 'Klim') Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Michael) The Storyteller by Dave Grohl (Michael) Andrew Johns: The Two of Me by Andrew Johns and Neil Cadigan (James) Johnathan Thurston: The Autobiography by Johnathon Thurston (James) From episode 105 (Arna Radovich, author of 'Limits of Forgetting') Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Arna) What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Arna) The Glass House by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist (Arna) Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (Arna) Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen (James) The Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti (James) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (James) Revisionist History season 11: Hitler's Olympics by Malcolm Gladwell and Ben Naddaff-Hafrey (Ashley) [Podcast] Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke (Ashley)  From episode 106 (Simone Amelia Jordan, author of 'Tell Her She's Dreamin'' The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman (Simone) Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro (Simone) Parable by the Sower by Octavia E Butler (Ashley) From episode 107 (Maggie Walters, author of 'Split') In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich (Maggie) For Life by Ailsa Piper (Maggie) The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas (Ashley) My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (James) Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

It's that time of year again - the annual Bed on a Plinth Awards, in which James and Ashley discuss the best books they've read in the last twelve months! Use this particularly eclectic list to gather Christmas gift ideas, or simply top up your own 'to be read' pile. Books & authors discussed in this episode (spoilers below!): Red River Road by Anna Downes  The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern An Ambush of Widows by R.W.R. McDonald (audiobook) Seventeen Years Later by JP Pomare Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor The Pulling by Adele Dumont (interviewed in episode 93) Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen  Not Everything Counts but Everything Matters by Ivan Cleary & Andrew Webster  Fragile Creatures by Khin Myint (interviewed in episode 101) Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (interviewed in episode 99) Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra Sociopath by Patric Gagn The Writer's Room by Charlotte Wood  Tyranny of the Minority by Daniel Ziblatt & Steven Levitsky  Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'It's not a mental illness. It's actually a creative coping mechanism.'  What's it like to discover other people living in your own head? In Maggie Walters' debut memoir, she describes her life with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder (which remains Maggie's preferred term). After surviving years of abuse as a child, Maggie now lives with 40 alters and has spent much of her adulthood learning to understand herself, as well as how to share her experience with others. In episode 107, she describes living with her alters, how she wrote her memoir, and why, after years of keeping her reality a secret, she's now sharing it with the world.  Maggie Walters lives in the NSW Northern Rivers with her family. As a trauma survivor, she shares her journey towards wholeness, confronting stereotypes around mental health. Her debut memoir, Split, was published in 2024. An early draft of Split was longlisted for the 2022 Richell Emerging Writers Prize. Get your copy of Split from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Books & authors discussed in this episode: The Writer Laid Bare by Lee Kofman In Bad Faith by Dassi Erlich For Life by Ailsa Piper The Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  The Cold Truth tour is happening in February! Sign up for Ashley's newsletter here for full details  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson

'That was the most naive, worst decision I've ever made in my life, because the disease came back with a vengeance.'  In episode 106, Ashley speaks to award-winning memoirist Simone Amelia Jordan about the career that took her from Australia to New York City, and the health crisis that changed everything. We also speak about family heritage and family support, and how writing a memoir helped Simone recover herself and reinvent her career.   Simone Amelia Jordan is Australia's most successful hip-hop journalist, with a career spanning print, radio, TV and digital media. At twenty-three, she founded Urban Hitz, the country's highest-selling rap and R&B publication. Later, in New York City, she served as the content director of The Source, the iconic 'Hip-Hop Bible'. Simone is also an ambassador for Crohn's Colitis Australia. Her memoir, Tell Her She's Dreamin', won the 2021 Richell Prize winner, and is published in Australia and the United States. Get your copy of Tell Her She's Dreamin' from Booktopia or your local bookshop or library. Nothing in this episode is intended as medical advice. If you have health concerns, speak to your GP. Books & authors discussed in this episode: The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes by Alya Mooro  Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler  Hayley Scrivenor  Upcoming events  Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for the Society of Women Writers NSW on Wednesday 11 November Ashley is teaching Year of the Novel for Writing NSW beginning on Wednesday evenings starting 26 February 2025  Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode and Cold Truth, and get your copies from your local bookshop or your library.  Learn more about James' award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or your library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson